


From Eden

by ObliqueOptimism



Series: Prepare for Boarding [5]
Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Gen, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence, Klaus Hargreeves Gets A Hug, Klaus Hargreeves Needs A Hug, M/M, Not Beta Read, Sober Klaus Hargreeves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-15
Updated: 2020-02-15
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:55:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,166
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22742845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ObliqueOptimism/pseuds/ObliqueOptimism
Summary: While in the cereal aisle, Dave and Klaus encounter someone who was better left forgotten.
Relationships: Dave/Klaus Hargreeves
Series: Prepare for Boarding [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1563505
Comments: 32
Kudos: 337





	From Eden

**Author's Note:**

> But Sara, you say, you’re on a beach vacation  
> You right but sometimes you have a few margaritas on the beach while thinking about these two and then this happens

“Okay doll,” Dave said with a small smile, “but maybe pick a smaller bunch? You are always excited to eat bananas but you never eat them all before they go all brown and spotty.” 

Klaus tilted his head, “I could make banana bread when they get all brown and spotty.” 

“As you have said the last four times we got bananas. And yet—“

“I know, I know. I keep throwing them away. Listen, we both know I won’t make banana bread. Why would you believe me?” 

Dave laughed, “That’s why I said to grab a smaller bunch, baby.”

Klaus grinned and then did switch out the large bunch of bananas for a group of three. 

Dave smiled fondly at his fiancé. “Next on the list?” 

Klaus looked down at the paper in his grasp, “Cereal. Also we fucked up. Down here it says honey and that’s a few aisles back.” Looking back up, and without any hint of fear or worry, said, “Sorry, looks like one of us has to go back and get the honey, honey.”

Dave rolled his eyes, “You go get your cereal and I will take the long trek back three aisles behind us.” The cereal was for Klaus anyway, Dave didn’t eat breakfast cereal, usually just drinking a protein shake quickly before having to leave for work as he always slept in. 

As he turned to leave, Klaus put on an upper class accent, “I shall miss you my dear. Please be safe during your arduous trek.” 

Dave turned and blew him a kiss as he walked away. 

He was so lucky. Things were going better than ever with Klaus. The two had come a long way. They still had their moments of miscommunication, but they had been working hard on that from the start of their official relationship. Klaus had also learned he could trust Dave, that Dave wouldn’t treat him like his past relationships had. Dave had learned to read Klaus, to help when he needed it, when he was hurting. 

Dave wished deeply that Klaus never had to go through all the trauma he had endured, but the past was not something he could change. He could do his part for Klaus’s future though, he could help protect him and keep him safe. 

Dave had no intention of letting Klaus gain more hurt. 

He had endured more hurt than he ever should. 

Grabbing some honey, he turned and made his way back to the cereal aisle. Chances were Klaus would have half the aisle in the cart, saying he would eat it before it went stale. It wasn’t like he didn’t like cereal, Dave! And it’s so hard to choose! 

Choice was very important. For most of his life he didn’t have much choice. Between his father, being homeless, being in abusive relationships, rehabs and jail time— he had never been given much choice. Dave did his best in making sure Klaus got his say. His choice. 

It took some time before Klaus had voiced that he did or didn’t like things. Major things he always had an opinion about; but the smaller everyday things? Cereals, how he drank coffee, the type of laundry detergent— that came later. When Dave realized he was just buying his bran flakes and Klaus ate without comment, when Klaus drank his coffee black, when Klaus got a rash from the detergent but instead of suggesting they switch he just suffered without question. 

“I don’t know, I just take what’s given. It’s not like I dislike bran flakes,” Klaus had said. 

“But you want to try something else?” Dave guessed. 

“I hear good things about some others. And you hardly ever eat your bran flakes. I have eaten at least three boxes on my own.” 

“Well how about next time you can pick the cereal,” Dave said, gently running his hand through his boyfriend’s hair. 

“Any cereal?”

“Any cereal, baby.” 

Dave was certain they had tried every type at least once. Klaus had wanted to try them all, otherwise how would he know which one was the best? 

He wondered which one his fiancé would want to buy this week. 

As he rounded the corner, Dave was put on edge. Klaus had a box of Frosted Flakes held close to his chest, as if hugging a stuffed tiger instead of a box. The box proclaimed _They’re Great!_ but this didn’t look great. 

In front of Klaus was a man that Dave didn’t recognize. Klaus looked like he was hiding behind a mask. It was a look Dave had to learn to see through. It was hard sometimes, took practice, Klaus knew the grooves of his mask very well. It fit nice and snug. 

He doubted the guy talking to Klaus saw it. 

As he walked up he had to remind himself that this could be an innocent conversation. Asking the time or where he could find something in the store. 

The way Klaus didn’t take his eyes off the guy as Dave walked up made Dave more worried. Klaus had learned long ago to be aware of his surroundings. Unless there was a threat already in the room. 

Dave put an arm around Klaus, letting his fiancé know he was there. Klaus leaned into his embrace. “Hi, I’m Dave.”

The man smiled. It had a plastic feel to it, “Nice to meet you. I’m Evan. I work at one of the rehabs that Klaus frequented. I just came up to say how nice it was to see him clean and sober still.”

Evan wouldn’t be the first rehab or hospital employee to congratulate Klaus, however; every time it had happened Klaus wasn’t shutting down like he was now. No, usually he was smiling, hugging, clearly happy to celebrate with the employee. 

“It was nice seeing you, Klaus. We should get coffee and catch up sometime, yeah?” Evan said. He glanced cooly at Dave, “Lovely to meet you.” With that he turned and gave a wave to them. 

They both watched as Evan turned at the end of the aisle silently. Dave felt Klaus relax some when he was out of sight. 

Without a comment, Klaus put the Frosted Flakes in the cart. 

Sorry Tony the Tiger. Things were not great. 

“Klaus, baby?”

Klaus opened the list of groceries, “We have a few items left to get.”

Dave carefully put his hand over Klaus’s, “We can finish up later, if you need—“

Klaus shook his head, “I’m fine Dave. Don’t you worry your pretty head.”

But Dave was worried. Of course he was. He hoped that on the way home, or once home, when they were far away from Evan, that Klaus would open up. 

Maybe he didn’t need to worry much. Maybe Klaus had been having a rough day and seeing Evan made him think of getting high.

But Dave had a bad feeling. 

Dave didn’t leave Klaus’s side as they got the last few items, and as they stood in line to pay, he gave Klaus a shoulder massage. He had tension since seeing Evan. Dave hoped to relax Klaus. Make sure Klaus knew he was safe. 

The way back home was quiet. 

Putting away groceries was quiet. 

Klaus was quiet. 

Before Dave could make them some hot cocoa and carefully ask Klaus if he was sure he was okay, who was Evan? Klaus got up and made sure the door and all the windows were locked. He wrapped his arms around himself. 

Then after a few seconds, Klaus did another round, making sure everything was locked. 

A third time. 

Before he could check a fourth, Dave walked up and smiled gently, “Can I hug you, doll?” Whenever Klaus was distressed Dave made sure to ask what Klaus was comfortable with. He didn’t want to take away Klaus’s choice. Not his breakfast cereal, his own body, or anything else. 

It was important that Klaus could trust him. 

Klaus shook his head and held himself tighter, “I’m fine, Dave.” His eyes jumped to the locks on the door. 

“Are you sure seeing Evan didn’t bring some stuff up for you?” Dave hoped Klaus would let him in, so he could help. 

“I said I’m fine!” Klaus yelled. “I’m not going to break. Y’know I don’t need you acting like I’m _fragile_. I have handled so much more shit than Evan and I’m fine!”

Dave held his hands up for a second before putting them in his pockets. See? He wouldn’t touch Klaus without his permission. “I know, Klaus. I love how strong and brave you are.” 

Klaus flinched, as if the compliments hurt. He swallowed and Dave noted how his fingers were digging into his arms. “Dave—“

“Yes? My everything?”

“Dave—“ Klaus started shaking. “Dave, I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have yelled. You don’t deserve to be yelled at. You didn’t do anything wrong. I’m so sorry. Sorry that I’m your everything, sorry that—“

Dave took his hands out of his pockets and held them up again, “It's okay, doll. I forgive you. I will always forgive you. Will you sit down? I can make us hot cocoa and if you want we can talk about this?”

Klaus glanced at their sofa. After a minute he gave a nod and sat down. Dave immediately went to make the drinks. He noted that Klaus wrapped himself in Dave’s blanket his grandma made. 

As Dave sat the drinks down but before himself, Klaus said, “No touching?”

Dave nodded, “On the sofa beside you, without touching, or a chair?” Sometimes when Klaus opened up he wanted to cuddle, wanted to put his ear up to Dave’s chest to hear his heart, wanted gentle kisses. Other times he wanted to have his own space. 

Dave checked with him often on what he was comfortable with, and it wasn’t unheard of for Klaus to ask for what he needed. 

It took Dave too long to start checking; Klaus said that the fact that he even asked was more than anyone else did. 

When Klaus spoke casually of how people had treated him, it hurt. It also made Dave work harder to be better. 

“Sofa,” Klaus replied hesitantly. 

Dave smiled, “Thank you for letting me sit by you.”

And then Klaus started talking about Evan. 

Evan who did work at a rehab center. Who had flirted with Klaus during his stay, who accepted sex from Klaus in exchange for some pills slipped to him, who talked Klaus into moving in with him after rehab. And how from there he started slowly controlling Klaus, he got drugs for him and would give them to Klaus, when and how they had sex even if Klaus didn’t want it, control what Klaus would eat, when he would sleep. 

Then he had started to get physical in his treatment. Started with pinches that would leave bruises, then it grew from there. 

Klaus ran after a night where Evan had forced sex, after calling him awful things, then hit him so hard he lost his footing and fell into the coffee table. Evan then threw some pain pills towards Klaus and left for work. 

He hadn’t seen Evan since. The next time Diego took him to rehab he had to plead to not do the one Evan worked at, the one he had always asked to go to as there had been _a kind employee who slipped him pills for sex_. 

Halfway through his explanation Klaus asked to be held. Of course Dave immediately went to his fiancé’s side. He held him close and ran his fingers through his hair, around the shell of his ear, careful caresses. When he was done, Dave kissed both of Klaus’s palms before holding them gently. 

“Thank you for telling me, doll. That couldn’t have been easy. I’m sorry you had to go through that, it’s not something you or anyone else should endure.”

Klaus sighed, “I’m so stupid for falling for him. I should have seen it coming. I mean, he gave me drugs for sex in rehab.”

“Baby no, you aren’t stupid. You are never stupid. He took advantage of you. None of what happened was your fault.”

Klaus seemed to think about that. He looked Dave in the eyes, the first time since seeing Evan, “Not my fault?”

“Not your fault,” Dave repeated, kissing Klaus’s nose. 

Klaus nodded, “Not my fault.”

Dave hated that Klaus had gone through that, that he was abused by Evan and the others, but he was glad that he was healing from it. He knew he could trust Dave, and if Dave said it wasn’t his fault, then it must not have been. 

They cuddled the rest of the night, Dave keeping Grandma’s blanket around them. Before bed, they checked all the locks once more, together. Dave wrapped his arms around Klaus as they went to sleep, “Goodnight, my everything. I will guard your dreams tonight, okay?” 

Klaus turned and smiled slowly, “You always do.”

They slept peacefully through the night.

**Author's Note:**

> obliqueoptimism @ tumblr


End file.
